The Solar Activity Monitor Network - SAMNet

Abstract

The Solar Activity Magnetic Monitor (SAMM) Network (SAMNet) is a future UK-led international network of ground-based solar telescope stations. SAMNet, at its full capacity, will continuously monitor the Sun’s intensity, magnetic and Doppler velocity fields at multiple  heights in the solar atmosphere (from photosphere to upper chromosphere). Each SAMM sentinel will be equipped with a cluster of identical telescopes each with different magneto-optical filter (MOFs) to take observations in K~I, Na~D and Ca~I spectral bands. A subset of SAMM stations will have white-light coronagraphs and emission line coronal spectropolarimeters. The objectives of SAMNet are to provide observational data for the space weather research and forecast. The goal is to achieve an operationally sufficient lead time of e.g. flare warning of 2-8 hours, and provide much sought-after continuous synoptic maps (e.g., LoS magnetic and velocity fields, intensity) of the lower solar atmosphere with a spatial resolution limited only by seeing or diffraction limit, and with a cadence of 10 minutes. The individual SAMM sentinels will be connected into their master HQ hub where data received from all the slave stations will be automatically processed and flare warning issued up to 26 hrs in advance.